I understand in a basic sence that amoung the railfanning, train and railway ethusiasts, they have mixed feelings oon CSX as a railroad, as its name sounds more corprate like compared, and its logo looks borring.
I would like help understanding what caused these feelings among the railroad enthusiasts and into model railroading possibly? I find that I like it, as I like all railroads and the liverys they use on their equipment. I do like the boxcar logo CSX uses, as it perfectly shows its a railroad transportation service that using its rorlling stock equipment, transports goods around for clients and customers to be delivered at their respective destinations, like every other railroad.
I have to ask the memories of the forum who model and take interest in CSX, to share their stories, show their layouts and model railroading work.
I railfan the CSX quite a bit, simply because it’s the railroad in NY that runs the most trains. While it’s not my first choice to model, I have thought about modelling the CSX’s water level route, primarily because it’s fast paced, intermodal heavy railroading. It doesn’t have much to do with the CSX’s outward appearance, more of the operational standpoint. I personally find the “Dark Future” paint scheme, well, a bit dark. I much prefer the YN2 “Bright Future” units, and I can’t say I even like them as locomotives. Well, that’s my opinion on the matter.
Of course I don’t model CSX, but I have a good friend in Tampa that does.
He lives near the Yeoman Rail Yard, and he has seen CSX every day. The blue, gray, and yellow CSX paint scheme is very handsome, and the logo looks fine to me.
Since I designed my layout for Conrail, I had too fix the track and building locations to also model the New York Central.
Unfortunately my redesigns and revisions haven’t helped me modeling both railroads.
Back 10 or more years ago I was to continue with the Conrail merger with CSX up until the year end of 2007. It would have a few Dark Future locomotives and majority of them being Bright Future.
Never had a problem with CSX, except I never cared for the boxcar logo. It looks fine as a corporate logo not as railroad wearing symbol.
I too would like to understand these “mixed feelings”?
I live in the heart of what was once the home of the B&O, and I know lots of modelers who model all roads and eras, including CSX.
I will admit I don’t know or spend time with hardly anyone who is a present day “railfan” who is not a modeler. That is a population of people I don’t really have any contact with, so I don’t know (or care) how they feel about CSX.
And I’m not a person who spends time on virtual railfan, or owns a scanner and sits by the tracks, that will simply never happen.
I do know a short list of CSX employees, and like all employees of big companies, they make jokes about what they don’t like about their bosses or their jobs.
I am only posting in this thread because I am curious about the OP’s “mix feelings” comment, and because if I was somehow more interested in present day railroading, and was going to model a real prototype in present day railroading, I would likely model CSX.
I’ve been a model railroader and a railfan since the early 70’s when I was a teenager watching trains in the Penn Central & Long Island Railroad yards in Sunnyside, Queens, NY, home of the GG-1’s ( rode in one from Sunnyside to NY Penn)!
Seeing east coast railroads was a thrill at that age. At first I modeled Conrail and Penn Central since there wasn’t a lot of LIRR trains (HO Scale) out there for a teen to buy. As I gre older and moved to NJ, I saw more of the railroads I liked including CSX. in the early 2000’s when I was able to buy a house and build a permanent layout, I wanted to have more trains to model that I saw; mainly CSX. While I liked the YN2, the YN3 became my favorite, as well as easier to custom paint!
One day I was sitting on Route 78 East in New Jersey near the NJT / CSX / NS Interchanger which heads to Jersey City, and I saw the Juice Train. Back then it was all Tropicana reefers; at least that particular train had them. I knew right there my railroad would have that train with CSX on the head end.
As my latest layout is up and running, it has a model of a Tropicana Juice Facility, completes with a lot of Tropicana cars and a dedicated Tropicana switcher. My mainline trains are pretty much CSX engines with some Conrail sprinkled in and my shortline / local trains are my freelance-private railroad name.
Since I like CSX so much, I just bought the 3 new Heritage units Scaletrains.com came out with: First repsonders, Veterans and Law enforcement.
That being said, when I travel and have a chance to railfan, I will do so regardless whether it’s a railroad I model or not. It’s part of the hobby and you never know when you see something that will inspire you.
In closing, I will say this: Hello, my name is Neal and I’m a trainaholic. My last EBay purchase was 3 days ago…
CSX spent a small fortune to hire Hunter Harrison, so he could implement precision railroading. He was in poor health at the time and lasted less than a year.
I don’t know if any of the following is true, but people on the webcams claimed employees were leaving and maintenance was suffering because of his cost cutting.
We lost Brakie, a former CSX employee. He always had stories. Back in my railfan days, I took this picture at Cumberland
I like CSX. I like the Bright Future livery. I model CSX. Not exclusively . . . but nevertheless . . .
And I like at least two if its predecessor railroads: Seaboard Coast Line (and its predecessor Seaboard Air Lines) and Atlantic Coast Line. So much so that I scratchbuilt a model of the corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida to place on my layout. Of course, I substituted my own railroad logo . . . but hey!
Not entirely sure why the OP asked me to defend my decisions, but I am happy to do so.
I don’t think the OP is asking anyone to defend modelling CSX, rather he is asking what has drawn you toward CSX or what appeals to you about CSX.
I think I understand what he is asking having spent 36 years in logistics. I would have the opportunity to visit five different RRs occasionally and while they are all railroads there was/is a distinct individual feel about them I would notice. Maybe it was the from the top-down corporate culture of a company or the size and wealth, who knows. It was the same with all the courier companies/Post Offices of the world I dealt with. I could tell you exactly what companies facility I was in just by the vibe.
I am afraid I dont have a true definition at the moment. I ask as over time watching videos and posts about railfans opinons, is why I asked, and at the moment dont have a source for any at the moment as there are too many to count.
I have to thank Henry for helping me find an answer to this.
Hey Robert, I am not asking you to defend your choice of railroad to model, I am just asking why. I hope my question didnt come across as that. Good work on your scratchbuilt version of the CSX headquarters building with your own railroad logo on it.
I have to say you have ispired me, as I now like CSX
I would hate to think that choosing a railroad or era to model has devolved into some sort of political correctness exercise regarding the history or management of that railroad.
I am neither pro union or anti union, I have little interest in the politics of railroad management. But more importantly, any such interest in the prototype does not drive my interest in what to model.
And should my choices in modeling be “judged” based on some set of “politically correct” views, I assure you such opinions will excite considerable humor on my part.
I am one with mixed feelings regarding CSX, but not for the reasons you listed. A few years back I was watching and photographing CSX trains from a state park with my grandson. We were about 150 feet from the tracks in clear view of the passing train crews. My grandson and I waved as the trains passed by and many crews waved back. After awhile a CSX RR Police vehicle appeared on the service road by the tracks and stopped near us. The officer approached us to see what we were doing and gave us a friendly reminder to stay in the park area and not to get too close to the track. Very polite, not in a mean way. I don’t know if he was just happening by or if one of the train crews called him.
The reason I relate this story is because as time moves forward it seems railroads are doing everything they can to protect their interests, as they should. But it just reminds me that gone are the days when railroading was up close and alive, when local switch crews were approachable and engineers were willing to give a toot of the whistle to greet people track side (at safe, appropriate distances). The sounds of couplers crashing together, air hoses split at a drop off, squealing wheels, the smell of diesel exhaust. Now the trains whoosh by, windows tinted dark, many times with no crew to be seen. Long trains of cars with muted, highly faded paint schemes with little variety. My grandson likes to watch them roll, but I am left missing the old days. I’m sure this isn’t just a CSX characteristic, but they are the only road close enough for us to personally observe. The romance of the old NY Central and Penn Central has faded into distant memory. To me CSX represents a dark future for railfans indeed.
Seems to me, those that model a particular RR do so because of various reasons, likely because of “what they grew up with”, “what is nearby”, “where it is located”, “color scheme”, or similar reasons.
I modeled the Santa Fe and Illinois Central. Why? Well the IC tracks ran by my Grandmother’s in Southern Illinois and seeing those beautiful brown and orange streamliners and massive coal trains impressed the heck out of me.
And the Santa Fe, with its much advertised warbonnet scheme and its mysterious (to a Chicago kid) route thru the west to California made it known and admired by many. And of course Lionel produced the warbonnet in the late '40s and for many years after, giving thousands of kids something to wish for…
I would imagine those modeling the CSX and/or any other RR would have similar reasons…and its not rocket science to figure that out.
As far as “show me your modeling”, well most of us have done that many times over. But where are pics of the OP’s modeling efforts?
Isn’t it kind of like “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours”???
